Undercurrent: EU votes to ban pulse fishing

Members of European parliament have voted in favor of prohibiting electric pulse fishing in European waters, at the technical measures regulation vote on Jan. 16.

MEPs voted 402 to 232 for the prohibition, according to NGO Our Fish.

“Today’s vote by the European Parliament to stop the aggressive expansion of electric pulse fishing is a huge win for European seas, low impact fishers and the public,” said Our Fish program director Rebecca Hubbard.

“It also shows that new fishing methods must be studied on the basis of independent science before they can be pushed out for commercial use. Instead of developing another industrial fishery with high exploitation capacity, EU governments must get back to the urgent job of ending overfishing, and deliver truly sustainable fisheries management that benefits our marine ecosystems and coastal fishing communities.”